Gear shifting mechanism



Oct. 19, 1943'. w. PRICE ETAL" GEAR SHIFI'ING MECHANISM Original Filed Fb. 2. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/ll 'IIIIIIII,

I I INVENTOR x/ waza n4 P/P/CE Patented Oct. 19, 1943 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE GEAR SHIFTING MECHANlISM Harold W. Price and Walter L. Krieg, South Bend, Ind., assignors to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Original application February 2,

1939, Serial No:

254,135. Divided and this application October 12, 1940, Serial No. 360,908

3 Claims. (Cl. 74-435) erating the three-speeds forward and reverse transmission of the day is the length of move-, ment required of the gearshift lever, or, if the movement is small, the relatively large force required to move said lever. It is also to be noted that the present-day gear shift lever constitutes an obstruction in the drivers compartment and prevents complete freedom of movement of the driver and the other occupants.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an easily controlled transmission operating mechanism including automatically operable power means for actuating the aforementioned gear selecting mechanism, said means cooperating with means, preferably power means, for actuating the selected rail.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide power means for selecting one or the other of the shift rails of a three-speeds forward and reverse transmission, said means including means automatically operable, when and only when the vehicle is in motion, to effect a selection of the second and high gear shift rail.

Our invention further contemplates the pro-- vision of selector means, positioned within easy reach of the driver, for controlling power means for actuating mechanism to establish the transmission in gear, said means being so interlocked with means for actuating a shift rail selector mechanism that the operation of the power means to establish the transmission in gear may not be completed until after the shift rail selector mechanism has completed its work.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide, in a transmission having mechanism for selecting a sliding gear to be actuated and mechanism for actuating the selected gear, means for operating the transmission, the control of said means being in large measure efiected by a lever member mounted within easy reach of the driver and operable in but one plane. In a preferred embodiment of our invention, a selector is an-v gularly movable in a plane parallel to the steering wheel and is mounted immediately beneath the wheel on the steeringpost of the vehicle.

Other objects of the invention and desirable details of construction and combinations of parts will become apparent from the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the invention, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating said embodiments, in which:

Figure 1 discloses, in side elevation, the trans-- mission operating mechanism constituting our invention; I

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the four-way valve for controlling the shift rail operating motor disclosed in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, disclosing the four-way valve in another operative position;

Figure 4 is a view, similar to Figures 2 and 3, disclosing the four-way ,valve in its transmission neutral position;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the motor operated cut-off valve disclosed in Figure l; and

Figure 6 is a view disclosing, in detail, the shift rail selecting power means disclosed in Figure 1.

Referring to Figure l of the drawings, a threespeeds forward and reverse transmission I0 is operated by interlocked power means, the parts being constructed and arranged to provide power means for operating the means, not shown, for

selecting one or another of the sliding gears of,

the transmission l0 and to provide other power means for operating the selected gear to thus establish the transmission in gear. The transmission, including the means for selecting the sliding gear to be operated and the means for operating the selected gear, is not disclosed in detail, inasmuch as no claim is made thereto. Most of the selective types of sliding gear transmissions of the clay include so-called shift rails operatively connected to the aforementioned slidable gears: however, our invention is not limited to such a transmission. In the description which follows, the mechanism constituting our invention is des ribed as operating a three-speeds forward and reverse transmission having a socalled high and second gear shift rail and a low and reverse gear shift rail.

Describing now the operation of both power means and the construction and arrangement of the parts thereof, there are provided a crank l2, constituting one element of the rail selector mechanism, and a crank t4, constituting one of the elements of the mechanism for actuating-the selected rail. A spring l6 constitutes a power means and serves to bias the crank I2 to the fullline position disclosed in Figure 1, in which po sition the first and reverse shift rail of the transmission is selected for subsequent operation. When the vehicle is in motion, the crank I2 is automatically rotated, by a solenoid motor I3 to the dotted-line position disclosed in Figure 1, in which position the shift rail selecting mechanism hasbeen operated to select the second and high gear shiftrail. The motor I3 and its operation will be described in detail hereinafter.

After starting the engine and disengaging the clutch, the driver usually places the transmission in low gear. To accomplish this result with the mechanism of our invention a selector I8, secured to one end of a tube 28, is rotated clockwise to draw a spool-shaped valve mem ber 22 of a control valve 23 to the right to the position disclosed in Figure 2. The tube 20 extends parallel with the steering column 24 of the vehicle and is secured thereto by brackets 26 and 28. The valve member 22 is connected with the selector by means of a crank 30 secured to one end of the tube 20, a link 32, a bell crank 34 and a link 35. With the valve member 22 in the position disclosed in Figure 2, a chamber 36 of a double-ended air-suspended motor 38 is connected to the intake manifold 40 of the engine via a conduit 42, a port 44 in a valve casing 46, housing the valve member 22, a recess 48 in said member, a port 58 in the valve casing and a conduit 52.

With the engine idling, the throttle being closed, preparatory to placing the transmission in low gear and starting the vehicle, there is induced, by virtue of the pumping action of the pistons of the engine, a partial vacuum in the intake manifold. It follows therefore, with the chamber 36 of the motor connected to the manifold as just described, that said chamber will be partially evacuated.

Referring again to the valve mechanism 23, which may be defined as a four-way valve, with the valve member 22 in the position disclosed in Figure 2, a chamber 58 of the motor 38 is vented to the atmosphere via a conduit 58, a port 60 in the valve casing 48, the interior of the casing, ports 6| in said casing, duct 62 w thin the valve member 22 and ports 64 in the casing 46. With the chamber 38 partially evacuated and the chamber 58 vented to the atmosphere, 2. piston 66 or power element of the motor 38 is subjected to a differential of pressures. The piston is therefore subjected to a force resulting in a movement of the same to the left to rotate the crank I4 clockwise and to move the low and reverse shift rail to establish the transmission in low gear. The piston 66 is connected to the crank I4 by a connecting rod 68.

The low and reverse shift rail is operated, for it will be remembered that when the vehicle is at a standstill the solenoid motor I3 is deenergized and the spring I6 functions to operate the shift rail selecting mechanism to select the aforementioned rail.

After reengaging the clutch and accelerating the vehicle to the desired speed, it is the usual in the valve 23 and the conduit 42, and the chamber 56 is connected to the intake manifold via conduit 58, port 80, recess 48, port and conduit 52. The piston 88 is then subject to a differential of pressures resulting in its movement to the right to rotate the crank I4 in a counterclockwise direction. When the crank I4 has moved suillciently to return the low and reverse shift rail to its transmission neutral position, there comes into play the aforementioned automatically operable solenoid motor I3, which, together with the spring I6, constitutes power means for selecting one or the other of the shift rails of the transmission.

Describing the structure and operation of this mechanism, which is disclosed in Figure 6, when the vehicle is in motion, a contact block I0, operated by a propeller shaft operated fiy-ball governor I2, engages contacts I4 and I6 to energize the solenoid motor I3. If desired, the governor mechanism maybe set, say by an adjusting screw 11, so that the solenoid I3 is energized when the vehicle is moving at a certain very low speed: and, under ordinary operation, this setting will, of course, prevent placing the transmission in reverse when the vehicle is in motion. The contacts I4 and I8 together provide a control unit or switch 88, and the electrical circuit, including the solenoid motor and switch, is completed by a battery 82 and the wiring interconnecting the solenoid, switch and battery. When the.solenoid' is energized, which, of course, usually occurs before the transmission is placed in neutral, a load is placed upon the crank I2 to rotate the same clockwise.

Accordingly, when the low and reverse shift rail reaches its transmission neutral position, the

selector mechanism of the transmission will be automatically operated to effect a selection of the second and high gear shift rail. This operation is insured to a degre by the operation of a cut-off valve 84 which disconnects the fluid transmitting connection between the intake manifold and the control valve 23 as the crank I6 is rotating. When the crank I2 is in either of its extreme positions, that is, in position to select one or the other of the shift rails, the valve member 84, Figure 5, is positioned to interconnect one or the other of conduits 42 and 58 with the ports 44 and 88, and accordingly with the two portions of the conduit 52. In any other position of the crank I2, that is,-any position in which the rail selecting mechanism has not completed its work, the valve member is so positioned that no portions of the conduits 42 and 58 registered with the ports 44 and 68. Accordingly, the motor 38 may not be energized to operate the shift rails, unless and until one or the other of the rails has been selected for operation.

Continuing the description of the operation of the mechanism to place the transmission in second gear, after and only after the rail selector mechanism has been operated sufficiently to make possible an actuation of the second and high gear shift rail, the motor 38 may be again energized to establish the transmission in second gear; for then the duct 86 of the valve member 84 functions to complete the connection between the manifold and the valve 23 and the differential of pressures acting upon the piston 66 effects a' movement of the same to the right to again place the rod 68 in tension to rotate the crank I4 counterclockwise and to place the transmission in second gear. In other words, in changing the transmission setting from low gear to second gear, the motor 38 is momentarily deenergized, or rather its energization is not maintained, when the valve. member 84 is being rotated from one extreme position to the other, that is, when the shift rail selecting mechanism is functioning.

Having described the operation of placing the transmission in low gear and second gear, it is believed unnecessary to describe in detail the operation of placing the transmission in high gear.

. Sufiice it to say that the selector I8 is rotated clockwise to again move the valve member 22 to the position disclosed in Figure 2. The accelerator being released to provide a source of vacuum,

the motor 38 is again energized, moving the pis-' ton 68 clockwise, to establish the transmission in high gear. It is assumed, of course, that in effecting the shift from second gear to high gear the speed of the vehicle does not drop below that necessary to effect a closing of the switch 80, for

' M operated thereby so cooperate with the power if such deceleration occurred the solenoid i3 would bedeenergized and, when the second'and high gear hift rail reached its transmission neutral position, the spring 56 would function to operate the crank l2 to effect a selection of the low and reverse shift rail. The motor 38 would then effeet a movement of this rail to again establish the transmission in low gear.

There are other features of our invention which have not been described in detail, such, for example, as a two-way cut-out valve 88, Figure 1 operated by a link at secured to the clutch pedal 92. With such a valve, the manifold is cut ofi from the control valve 23 when the clutch is engaged. Accordingly, it is possible to energize the motor 38 to move the shift rails only when the clutch is disengaged.

As another feature of our invention, springs 94 and 95 are placed in the motor 38 to bias the piston $6 to its transmission neutral position. Accordingly, when the selector i8 is moved to its transmission neutral position, that is, half-waybetween its extreme positions previously referred to, the valve member 22 is moved to the position disclosed in Figure 4, both of chambers 36 and 55 of the motor 36 being then vented to the atmosphere. This operation permits one or the other of the springs t4 and St to move the piston 56 and its connected shift rail to their transmission neutral positions.

After the clutch is engaged and the two-way cut-off valve 88 has been operated, the remaining air in the partially evacuated chamber of the motor 38 is trapped to thus maintain the motor energized to hold the transmission in gear, despite theload from one or the other of the springs 84 and 96. The detent or shift rail locking mechanism of the transmission and the load upon the meshed gear teeth, when the engine is driving the propeller shaft or the propeller shaft is driving the engine, of course aid the motor 38 in retaining the shift rail in its gear established position, so long as the selector i8 is in either of its gear setting positions. 7

With the mechanism of our invention, one or the other of the springs 94 and 95 will function to neutralize the transmission only when the valve 23 is moved to its transmission neutral position to vent the chambers 36 and 55 to atmosphere and the driving load is taken ofi 'thetransmission gears, e. g., when the vehicle is brought to a stop or the clutch is disengaged.

In order to place the transmission in reverse gear, the vehicle is brought to a stop, to prevent an energization of the solenoid i3, and the selector i8 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, to move the valve member 22 to the position dismeans for actuating the selected shift rail as to make possible a quick operation of the transmission into either low gear or reverse gear, when the vehicle is at a standstill, and, when the vehicle is in motion, the transmission may be quickly established either in second gear or in high gear, depending upon the position of the selector l 8. With the selector in its transmission neutral position and the vehicle at a standstill the transmission may only be established in either low or reverse gear.

One of the outstanding features of our invention lies in the simplicity of operation of the selector It, the same being moved in but one plane to one or the other of but two positions to place the transmission in gear. To neutralize the transmission, the selector is moved to its transmission neutral position, thus permitting one or the other of the springs 94 and 96 to function.

With-the mechanism described, including the cut-off valve t t, it is necessary to disengage the clutch pedal 92 to make an operation of the transmission possible. Accordingly, there is provided what isknown in this art as a preselective gear shifting mechanism, for, with the vehicle in motion, the selector i8 may be moved to select either high or second gear before the clutch is disengaged. With the vehicle at a standstill and with an operation of the selector i8, eithe'r low gear or reverse gear may be selected prior to a disengagement of the clutch. A free-wheeling unit 98 may also be incorporated in the propeller shaft to thus facilitate anoperation of the transmission with the vehicle in motion, particularly a vehicle having a transmission which does not include 2.

so-called synchromesh mechanism. The equivalent of a free-wheeling unit may be had with the provision of a clutch, not shown, operated by the clutch pedal and placed somewhere in the power transmission line to the rear of the change-speed transmission. The governor I2 is of course connected to the propeller shaft to the rear of the principles involved are susceptible of numerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention is, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a motor vehicle provided with a changea power means for actuating the second mentioned means to thereby move the selected shift rail and establish the transmission in gear, and a cut-01f valve actuated by the crank for, in part, controlling the operation of said second-mentioned power means.

2. In an automotive vehicle provided with a transmission having a plurality of sliding gears, means including a crank extending from the transmission casing, for selecting one of said gears to be actuated, means for actuating the selected gear to thereby establish the transmission in the desired gear ratio, automatically operated power means, operable when and only when the vehicle is in motion for actuating the crank of the first-mentioned means, other power means for actuating the second-mentioned means including a pressure diflerential operated motor, a valve for controlling the operation of said motor and means for actuating said valve including a selector mounted within easy reach of the driver of the vehicle, and valve means, actuated by said crank and operative only when said first mentioned power means is operating, for momentarily rendering the aforementioned pressure difi'erential operated motor inoperative.

3. In anwautomotive vehicle'provicled with a change-speed transmission having a low and reverse gear shift rail and a, second and high gear shift rail, means for selecting'one or the other of said rails including a crank and means. for moving the selected rail including another crank,

means, including a. hand operated selector m0V- able in but one plane, for rotating the second mentioned crank and thereby moving the rail selected for operation, automatically operated means for actuating the crank of the rail selecting means, said rail selecting and rail moving means serving, when the transmission is in neutral and the vehicle is at a standstill, to so operate the rail selecting means as to eflect a. selection of the low and reverse shift rail and further serving, when the transmission is in neutral and the vehicle-is in motion, to so actuate said first mentioned crank as to eil'ect a selection of the second and high shift rail.

HAROLD W. PRICE. WALTER L. KREG. 

